


A Very Lightwood-Bane Christmas

by HarkaSun



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood Loves Magnus Bane, Christmas, Christmas Dinner, Christmas Morning, Christmas Party, Christmas Presents, Domestic Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Family Fluff, Found Family, Happy Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, I can't write kids, Lightwood-Banes Being a Family, M/M, Malec's Kid, POV Alec Lightwood, POV Magnus Bane, Parents Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Woken Up at 6am by an Excited Child, but i tried
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:02:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28287435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarkaSun/pseuds/HarkaSun
Summary: Magnus and Alec host their friends and family for the fifth Christmas celebrated in the Lightwood-Bane household. No one is more pleased or excited than their five year old son, who is eager to fulfil a day of festivities with his fathers and their extended family.
Relationships: Clary Fray/Jace Wayland, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Simon Lewis/Isabelle Lightwood
Comments: 7
Kudos: 61





	A Very Lightwood-Bane Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Fanfiction.net for last year's Christmas, but I have rewritten parts and changed it up a bit since first writing it! Plus, since I've been an Ao3'er now for almost a year, I thought I should put it on here too! (Obviously I’ve had to invent their kid because it’s TV Malec rather than book Malec)
> 
> Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!

25th December 2026, ALICANTE, IDRIS

_06:00am_

The sky was dark and splotched with clouds that dusted a light covering of snow across the City of Glass. Outside, the temperature was just a few degrees below freezing. Inside an apartment atop the tallest building in the city, Magnus and Alec Lightwood-Bane lay together, sound asleep in their shared bed.

An unexpected dip in the mattress woke Magnus and he couldn’t conceal a smile as small hands grabbed his shoulder, shaking him fully awake and alert. Since his marriage, Christmas had very quickly become his favourite day of the entire year, whereas before it was rather similar to every other day. He hadn’t celebrated it before Alec had come into his life.

Despite that, Alec alone wasn’t responsible for it becoming his most treasured holiday.

“Ayah, wake up!” a voice hissed in his ear.

Magnus cracked one eye open, squinting up at the one who had woken him.

Elijah Trueblood Lightwood-Bane was a heavy name, but his son wore it with a lightness that only children could truly possess. Alec had hesitantly suggested the middle name, his mother’s maiden name, and Magnus was happy to agree. Maryse had cried when they told her.

The only person to ever actually use their son’s full name had been Simon, during an evening of babysitting with Clary. He had tested it out as a discipline method when Elijah was too hyperactive to sleep. The trio had just ended up in stitches, laughing on the floor.

No one used his entire name before or since that time. His close friends and family called him Eli, everyone else called him Elijah. Alec sometimes called him blueberry. Whether it was due to his affiliation with the food or the stark colour of his magic, Magnus didn’t know. He himself had nicknamed his son ‘little dragon’.

Elijah’s horns had barely grown in, just little inky black stumps at the front of his head, hidden mostly in his mop of dark hair. There was no telling how they’d grow, but Magnus was determined to keep an eye on them. Horns for warlocks were similar to teeth for mundanes. They were painful to grow in. Elijah had cried for practically an entire year when he was two going on three and they had started to sprout.

Aside from that blip in his life, so far, Elijah rarely cried. He was a happy child and Magnus was glad for it.

“Ayah, it’s Christmas!” Elijah whispered excitedly now, as if it was a deeply concealed secret.

“I know,” said Magnus, his voice low to match Elijah’s own volume, smiling softly and wrapping his arms around the child when his son collapsed onto him in a whole-body hug. “Merry Christmas, my little dragon. Did you get presents?”

“Yeah!” breathed Elijah against his jaw, pushing his hands to Magnus’s chest to shove himself back upright. “There’s so many under the tree, and the sock at the end of my bed’s all lumpy!”

“Not a sock, sweetie, a stocking.”

“Well what’s the difference?”

“Stockings are just for keeping presents in at Christmas,” said Magnus. “Just little ones like a run-up to the big tree presents.”

Elijah nodded seriously, apparently understanding, before his expression broke into a smile again and he turned his chaotic wake-up technique on Alec, somehow still asleep at Magnus’s side. His husband had slowly become a deep sleeper during their time together, not needing to be as alert as he once was when he was in the field. Desk life suited him. The extended sleep schedule and more frequent eating habits meant that Alec was the healthiest he had been since they’d met.

Elijah shook Alec’s shoulder. “Daddy, it’s time for Christmas! Wake up!”

At first it seemed as though Alec had slept through even that, but then he stirred and grabbed Elijah, rolling over with him. Elijah squealed in delight at the horseplay and threw his arms around Alec’s neck in a tight hug.

“Good morning, sweetie,” Alec murmured into Elijah’s hair, turning onto his back and sitting Elijah on his chest. “What’s got you all excited, huh?”

Elijah giggled and grabbed Alec’s arm as it lifted to run a hand through his dark, curled hair. “Daddy, it’s Christmas! Don’t be silly!”

“Huh, you’d better go get your stocking then, hadn’t you?”

Elijah nodded and crawled off of Alec’s chest, his knees digging into the shadowhunters stomach as he did so and causing Alec’s to huff out a strained breath. In his rush and excitement, Elijah didn’t notice, and ran off to his room to collect his stocking.

Magnus leaned over to kiss Alec’s forehead, stroking his hair back. “Merry Christmas, my darling.”

“Merry Christmas,” Alec hummed, his voice rough with sleep, and he curled a hand around the back of Magnus’s neck, pressing their foreheads together. “What time is it?”

“About six.”

“Six in the morning?”

“Yes, Alexander, six in the morning.”

Alec huffed and released Magnus so he could shove himself up. “I need coffee,”

With a snap of his fingers, Magnus set Alec’s favourite mug on the bedside table, steam drifting from it in waves. Black with a splash of cream. Alec pushed a pillow back so he could sit upright against the headboard, taking the coffee in his hands and drinking long and deep and, after swallowing hard, he leaned across to kiss Magnus chastely on the lips.

“I love you.”

“I know, you coffee obsessed zombie. I love you too.”

“Only a zombie before I’ve had coffee.”

“I rest my case.”

Elijah ran back in, his stocking slung over one shoulder and Alec helped him clamber back up onto their bed, smiling softly as his son dropped the stocking in his lap and stuck a hand inside.

“What have we got then, sweetie?” asked Magnus, watching Elijah take out the first present, a little box that rattled when he shook it up by his ear.

It was a full box of marbles, which Elijah was ecstatic about and briefly forgot he had other presents so he could take them out and look at each one. His favourite was one with a blue, splotched covering. Per Elijah’s demand, Magnus picked out one for himself, a hazel one that matched his husband’s eyes almost exactly, while Alec favoured one with a yellow-orange centre that exploded outwards like a firework inside a case of clear glass. Alec gave Magnus a soft look, holding it up to compare with Magnus’s golden irises.

Elijah tore into the rest of his presents and Magnus watched on with his tea, Alec with his coffee, both giving occasional comments and gentle smiles. By the time the stocking was empty, Elijah sat grinning by a small pile of presents consisting of all manner of oddities, marbles and sugar mice, chocolate coins and a blue dragon figurine that he had clutched in his hand, a reindeer toy that doubled as a magnet and a little set of coloured pencils.

“Do grown-ups not get stockings?” he asked suddenly, unwrapping one of the chocolate coins and snapping it in half, popping the larger piece into his mouth.

Alec shook his head. “No, they’re just for children, Eli.” His son seemed a little saddened by that. He was so empathetic. Alec hastily corrected himself. “But, uh, we got them when we were kids, so we’ve had our turn already. Right, baby?”

Magnus glanced to him, understanding behind his eyes and nodded. “Yeah, that’s right.”

They were lying to him, but it was a white lie. If Elijah knew the truth of it, he could be upset for the rest of the day and neither of them wanted that. Magnus and Alec had never even celebrated Christmas before Elijah. Their childhoods left no room for such things.

Even in the three years of marriage before adopting their son, they had both worked each of those Christmases, Magnus at the spiral labyrinth and Alec in Idris. Someone had to do it, so, as leadership figures within their respective organisations, they took the roles for themselves.

Now, with Elijah, they didn’t have that pressure. Others understood that they had a child now and had other responsibilities outside of work, so they took Christmas off like most others. They could accept that the world wouldn’t fall apart if they took at least this one day off every year. Now they had a reason to celebrate Christmas, whereas—before Elijah—they had very little incentive.

Elijah seemed to accept that reason—that lie—and went back to his usual, bright self. He wanted to open the tree presents straight away, but Magnus shook his head and suggested breakfast first; they had to teach Elijah restraint after all. Alec drained his mug and leaned over to kiss Magnus’s cheek.

“I’m awake now, I’ve got it covered.”

Early in their relationship, Magnus would have been more dubious of that. Now, however, he just nodded. Alec had plenty of chances to practice over the years and now he was the head cook when Magnus didn’t magic something up. Alec insisted he liked to cook and Elijah, not yet developed a verbal filter, said that his food was the best, saying the food prepared with magic tasted like metal.

Magnus understood. His magic felt metallic to himself, which is why he hired a chef when catering for warlocks. In the early years, it hadn’t occurred to him that Elijah could taste the magic in the food he made. He wasn’t particularly offended by Elijah’s comment; he made very little effort in making the food anyway, so if Alec was happy to do it then Magnus was happy to let him.

While Alec was busy in the kitchen, Magnus helped Elijah gather up his stocking presents and take them back to his room. He coaxed his son to clean up his room a little, guiding him with how to use his magic to do it. Elijah was getting more confident in his abilities, growing into his power. Magnus barely needed to help.

“You’re getting stronger,” said Magnus, knowing he was in a bit of a daze, his mind wandering back to his own childhood, but unable to bring himself back.

Elijah pulled him back by taking his hand. “It’s okay,” he said and Magnus stared down at him. “You don’t need to worry about me, Ayah… I’ve got you and daddy to look after me.”

Magnus’s eyes narrowed. Sometimes he wondered if his son was so perceptive because of his demonic parent. Of course, he didn’t know who had sired Elijah, but he knew that different demons gave different kinds of magic to their children as well as sharing their mark. With Elijah’s horns still growing in, there was no telling who his parent was at this time. They would have to wait.

“I know,” said Magnus, squeezing Elijah’s hand. “You’ll always have me, sweetie.”

“And daddy,” insisted Elijah.

Magnus bit the inside of his cheek and forced a smile. “Yeah… and daddy.”

He hated lying to Elijah, but it was better than having the alternative conversation. Magnus and Elijah were warlocks and immortal. Alec was not. One day, they would be forced to live on without him. Magnus wasn’t sure he could bear the pain of losing him, but at least now he had a reason to continue life. Elijah needed him.

There was a call from the kitchen and Elijah hurried along, dragging Magnus behind him, Alec had set out an impressive display of pancakes on the dining table. He helped Elijah up into a chair, dropping a kiss to the crown of his head.

“Is there blueberry?” asked Elijah, eagerly craning his head to gaze across the stacks of pancakes.

“Of course,” Alec said, shimmying his spatula beneath the top two of a stack that was spotted blue and sliding them onto Elijah’s plate. “I always make blueberry for my little blueberry.”

Elijah giggled as Alec kissed his cheek and reached for the powdered sugar and chocolate syrup. Alec wandered up to Magnus, curling a hand around his waist and pulling him in close, pressing a kiss to his temple.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly.

Magnus swallowed hard and nodded, bringing a hand up to press to Alec’s chest. “I’m fine, my love.” He smiled down at Elijah, now heartily wolfing down his breakfast. “Pancakes, huh? Falling back on the classics.” He let Alec pull out a chair for him, warmth touching his cheeks as he sat. “A proper gentleman. Settling into domestic life very well.”

“You know it,” chuckled Alec, sitting himself down. “Now, come on, eat up. We’ve only got just over seventeen hours left of the day.”

Magnus huffed his amusement. “Somehow I doubt we’ll see all of those hours. Mark my words, we’ll be asleep as soon as the last guest leaves.”

* * *

_12:10pm (Noon)_

The first to arrive were Jace and Clary, almost an entire hour earlier than expected.

They were greeted at the door by Alec, who gave them both a quick hug before letting Elijah bombard them. Clary lifted him up against her side, grinning as Elijah told her about all the presents he had opened this morning, all about the spell book Magnus had made for him and the collection of rare and beautiful stones that Alec had acquired, a lava lamp from Luke, a marble run from Maia, and a light up star globe from Raphael, a pair of sparring gloves from Isabelle.

Alec certainly did not approve of that, but Isabelle was busy running the institute, so she already couldn’t be there for Christmas with the family. He couldn’t deny her the only thing she had thought up to get Elijah.

Jace and Clary had done a joint present for Elijah after Jace had asked Alec about a knife and Alec had punched him in the shoulder, insisting that Elijah was _five_ and Alec refused to raise him in the militaristic lifestyle of shadowhunters. So, from Jace and Clary, Elijah unwrapped a rectangular box of coloured chalks.

“If you like, I could teach you how to use them,” said Clary, chuckling when Elijah grabbed her in a firm hug, glancing up to Jace to say thank you, acknowledging that the blond had at least written his name on the label.

Alec watched Clary’s lesson with mild interest as she spread out a piece of black card across the coffee table, while Jace went to converse with Magnus in the kitchen. Alec suspected they were drinking. Despite issues in the past, Magnus had become stricter regarding his alcohol intake. Now he only drank somewhat excessively on special occasions, and never to the point of actual intoxication. Alec was quietly proud of him for that.

Elijah picked up blending the chalks so quickly that even Clary looked surprised. She had him practicing on small patches that looked like all different types of sky when the sun was just below the horizon; pinks and purples, yellows and oranges, all mixing together. Elijah’s hands were covered in chalk when there was another knock at the door.

“Can I get it?” asked Elijah, bouncing excitedly to his feet.

Alec hesitated. “Only when your hands are clean.”

Elijah practically sprinted to the bathroom, running out just a quickly after the brief sound of splashing water, hurrying to the door and pulling it open.

“Eli, hey!”

“Simon!” Elijah exclaimed, running and jumping into Simon’s waiting arms, giggling when the vampire spun him from the momentum. “You came!”

“Of course, buddy,” said Simon, grinning. “You’re getting big, huh? How’re those horns coming along? They still giving you trouble?”

Elijah shook his head. “Ayah says they won’t grow again til next year.”

“You’re gonna look so cool.”

“Like a dragon!”

Simon chuckled. “Yeah, like a dragon. Although, I hope you don’t start spitting fire. There’s a lot of flammable fabrics in here.” His gaze lifted and caught Alec’s eye as the shadowhunter came to usher him in, closing the door behind him. “Hey, man. How’ve you been?”

Alec smiled at him, at the ease with which Simon handled Elijah’s upbeat personality. “We’re good. This little troublemaker woke me up at six.” He ruffled Elijah’s hair as he spoke. “He’s been bouncing off the walls all morning. Maybe chocolate and pancakes for breakfast was a mistake.”

“Dude, if you can’t have chocolate for breakfast on Christmas then when can you have chocolate for breakfast?” Simon countered with a chuckle, and turned his attention to Elijah. “I’ve got something for you, lil’ man.”

“A present?”

“Yep, a present. Your aunt Izzy sent hers over earlier, right?” Elijah nodded. “She’s really sorry she couldn’t be here. She’s a badass, but she can’t be in two places at once, y’know?”

Elijah nodded again, more solemn now, and Simon set him down and swung his rucksack off his shoulder, taking out a painstakingly wrapped box all tied up in a red silk ribbon. Elijah glanced up to Alec for permission and his dad nodded, smiling softly as he watched his son carefully pull at the longer tassel of the silk, pushing the wrapping paper away to reveal the box beneath.

“What is it?” Alec asked, frowning softly and coming to one knee beside his son.

Elijah and Simon gave him a look that was so similar they could have easily been related. It was one of disbelief, as well as some mild offence on Simon’s part.

“Alec, man, it’s Lego,” said Simon, gesturing to the box when Alec just gave him a dubious look. “Come on, you gotta know what Lego is. It’s like a 3D puzzle.” Alec just shook his head and Simon’s brow pinched in a frown. “Really? You didn’t have Lego as a kid?”

“Shadowhunter, remember?”

“It’s so cool!” Elijah praised and examined the box, holding it up to show Alex. “Look, dad, it’s an X-Wing, from Star Wars. Will you build it with me?”

Alec smiled and ran a hand down the back of Elijah’s head. “Later, sweetie, okay? How about we make a start after lunch?” Elijah nodded enthusiastically and Alec patted his back. “Hey, what do we say to Simon?”

“Oh, yeah, thanks!” remembered Elijah, grinning as he gave Simon a fierce hug. “You remembered it’s my favourite spaceship! Do you wanna help with it after food?”

“That’d be great, buddy… Hey, can you make stuff fly round yet?”

Elijah shook his head. “Ayah will be busy. He doesn’t like me using magic when he isn’t watching.”

Simon frowned and glanced curiously to Alec, but the shadowhunter just shook his head. The confusion eased from Simon’s eyes and he simply nodded in return. He understood, to a degree. He understood that it wasn’t something they should discuss in front of Elijah.

The truth was that Magnus was stubbornly protective of their son. Over a year ago now, Elijah had exploded a glass trying to show Alec that he could levitate objects. The noise had brought Magnus running from an adjacent room and it had been the one and only time Alec had ever seen him lose his temper with Elijah. He hadn’t shouted, he never once raised his voice, but his tone had been firm and harsh as he took their son by the shoulders and made him swear not to use magic when he wasn’t there.

When Alec got Magnus alone that night after they’d put Elijah to bed, his husband had been trembling and stumbling over the words as he explained his reasoning. His own childhood had very little in the way of guidance regarding his magic. When that happened, warlocks had a tendency to lose control and Alec had come to understand how dangerous that could be, especially for one as young as Elijah. So, he agreed to Magnus’s terms, assured him that his fear was completely founded.

The doorbell rang through his reminisce and he pushed himself up. “I’ve got it.”

Taking the few steps to the door, he opened it wide to see his mother stood in the hallway, smiling when their eyes met. “Mum, hey, Merry Christmas.”

Maryse met him hallway for the hug, murmuring a ‘merry Christmas’ into his shoulder, a hand coming to his cheek when they parted. “Look at you,” she uttered through a smile. “Domestic life suits you.”

“Yeah, very funny.”

“No, I mean it, Alec. You look well.”

Alec smiled softly and their conversation was interrupted by Elijah’s call of “nana!”. Maryse crouched to meet him, lifting her grandson up to freckle kisses across his cheeks, hugging him tightly. When she set him down again, he beamed up at her and grabbed her hand.

“Nana, do you wanna see my drawings? Auntie Clary got me all these pretty chalks.”

“Oh, sweetheart, that sounds amazing, but I should really say hi to your ayah first. You know where he is?”

Elijah nodded and dragged Maryse into the apartment, chattering about his presents and asking her what she got for Christmas. Alec watched them go, smiling to himself as he closed the door.

Everyone was here. Alec’s heart was light.

* * *

_01:30pm_

The lunch in itself was noisy and joyous and prepared completely by hand. The plates were all practically cleared by the end.

Alec asked after Luke and Maia and his mother told him that they were doing Christmas with the pack this year, as Alec had suspected when they had both told him that they ‘had other plans’. Raphael was performing a service for his church, and told Magnus that he wouldn’t be able to make it and to give his love to Elijah. Alec hadn’t invited his father.

There was complicated history there and, if he was honest with himself, his mother was more preferable, at least since his father had cheated. Robert had become more of a work acquaintance after that. It saddened Alec sometimes, but he would rather have his mother happy.

A hand gently closed over his own and Alec looked up into Magnus’s dark, glamoured eyes. There was a soft pinch to his brow, almost querying. Alec just nodded, squeezed Magnus’s hand and went back to staring absently around the table, watching his guests divulge in their own conversations.

Opposite him, Simon was showing Elijah a mundane magic trick with some metal spiral he’d got in his cracker. His son was smiling, the candlelight reflected in big, dark eyes, filled with awe and wonder. Alec hoped he remembered this Christmas. When he was eighty or ninety, maybe on his deathbed, and Elijah was fifty but still twenty something in appearance, Alec hoped they would both remember times like this, when they were together and happy.

“Alec,” said Magnus, his voice low and gentle and just for him.

“Hmm?” Alec hummed and glanced to him.

“Will you help me with the plates?”

Alec nodded unthinkingly and pushed himself up, wandering around gathering as many as he could safely stack before following Magnus into the kitchen. Inside, Magnus snapped his fingers and waved an absent hand to slide the door shut almost all the way, magic trailing from his fingertips as he turned his attention to Alec.

“What is it?”

Alec frowned and set the plates down on the counter. “What’d you mean?”

“You’ve been quiet all through lunch,” Magnus told him, coming up behind him and setting a hand to his shoulder, gently turning him around. “I’m here, Alexander. Talk to me.”

Alec shrugged and lowered his gaze. “I’ve just been thinking… just about the future. About us.” Magnus looked alarmed by that and Alec shook his head, grabbing Magnus’s hands. “No, hey, it’s nothing like that. Just… you and Eli, you’re immortal. I’m not. I’ll die and you…” He shook his head and sighed softly. “I don’t want to leave you.”

The panic in Magnus’s eyes had eased to sympathy and he clicked his tongue, lifting a hand to cradle Alec’s cheek. “Oh, Alexander, sweetheart, you shouldn’t carry that burden… I can’t promise you it won’t hurt me when you die. It might kill me, but Elijah will need someone with him.” He ducked his head. “You know my past, Alec, but I promise you, with Elijah, I will never intentionally leave him. That I can promise.”

Alec nodded and let out a shaky breath. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be talking about this. Today’s supposed to be…”

Magnus shook his head. “Baby, it’s okay.” He curled a hand around the back of Alec’s head, leaning in close and pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “It’ll all fall into place, you’ll see. I’m always here for you, Alec. Always.”

“I know.”

Magnus kissed him again, properly this time, and Alec leaned into it so hard that it forced Magnus back to hit the counter, reaching both hands behind him to hold himself in place, letting Alec kiss him deeply. Alec’s hands fell to his hips, pulling him in close, fighting back a smile because then they would have to stop.

“Well, don’t let me interrupt.”

Earlier in their relationship, they may have sprung apart in embarrassment. Now, they finished their kiss and Magnus cast the new arrival an unimpressed look, though Alec could see the warmth and the pleasure in his eyes.

“Raphael, look at the situation you walked into. You’re well aware that you’re interrupting.” Raphael just raised an eyebrow and Magnus couldn’t even fake annoyance, moving to greet him with a tight hug. “Merry Christmas, my boy. I’m so glad to see you… I thought you wouldn’t be able to make it.”

Raphael nodded. “I know, I finished the service and came straight over. I’m sorry, I should have made more of an effort to stay in touch over the past couple of years. Everything’s just been so crazy.” He smiled as he pulled out of the hug. “Elijah’s so big now, isn’t he? So bright. I know he’ll grow up great with you two looking after him. You both must be so proud.”

Alec blinked hard at that spur of praise from Raphael. It wasn’t unheard of for him to be sincere, but he and Alec had a rocky past—apparently entirely buried now. Magnus just patted Raphael’s arm in gratitude, offering him something to eat, but the former vampire shook his head and waved a dismissive hand, insisting he had eaten on the way over.

When Magnus offered him a drink, however, he graciously accepted and proceeded to have it almost knocked from his hand when Elijah came racing in and caught his shoulder on Raphael’s leg.

“Oh, sorry,” he apologised, staring up at Raphael.

“It’s alright, Eli,” Raphael soothed and set his glass down on the counter, getting to one knee in front of the boy. “Do you remember me at all? It’s been a while since I saw you.”

Elijah stared at him a moment, eyes narrowing and looking him up and down. “I feel like I know you…” He closed his eyes and hesitantly reached forward to touch the former vampire’s arm. A stark blue magic shrouded his fingers. “Raphael…” His eyes opened, new realisation in his gaze. “Uncle Rafe!”

“Yeah,” Raphael chuckled breathily, huffing when Elijah threw himself into a hug, wrapping his arms around the young warlock. “Hey, little one. I’m sorry I haven’t visited in a while. What’d you remember?”

“You were a vampire, like Simon,” said Elijah, pulling out of the embrace. “But not anymore. Ayah said you gave me my blankie. He said your sister made it.” A pained expression crossed Raphael’s face and Elijah took half a step back. “You’re sad… You lost her. I’m sorry.”

Raphael shook his head. “It’s okay. It’s just… she would’ve liked you a lot.”

Elijah ducked his gaze, as is pleased by that, but unsure of how to react. “Would you like to play Lego with me? Simon got some for me.”

Raphael touched the boy’s shoulder. “I should catch up with your ayah first,” he utters, “but, after that, yes, I’d love to.”

Elijah grinned at him briefly before rushing to tug at Alec’s jeans, reminding him that they had a spaceship to build and that Alec had _promised_ so he had to come.

Alec smiled into a final kiss with his husband and his hand trailed against Magnus’s as he followed his son back out of the kitchen and through the dining room to a little set-up on the floor beside the sofas. Simon had pushed the coffee table out of the way so they all had room to sit. Lego pieces were set up in neat little bags and, by the angel, there were instruction sheets. This could take a while, Alec thought, but the beaming smile on Elijah’s face made it worthwhile.

Back at the table, the others sat drinking and reminiscing, discussing times long past and future plans, thanking one another for Christmas presents and laughing over bad cracker jokes. Magnus returned from the kitchen with Raphael at his side, sitting beside Maryse, talking to her with an ease and grace that would never have come had she not changed her views so progressively.

Raphael came to the group on the rug, sitting beside Simon, huffing when the vampire wrapped him in a tight hug, chattering excitedly. He rolled his eyes, but put an arm around Simon’s shoulders in return. Elijah ran off suddenly and Alec frowned after him, his expression smoothing when his son returned with the gift from Raphael, the star globe he had opened earlier—since the former vampire had been uncertain as to whether he would be able to deliver his gift in person.

Raphael listened attentively while Elijah flicked the globe on, watching it light up and spin slowly, nodding when Elijah pointed out constellations to him. The sincerity in his voice when Elijah thanked him for the gift sent a rush of warmth to Alec’s chest and a fondness in his eye.

Glancing around the small group on the rug and back the others gather at the table, Alec knew that he could never have hoped for better company. _Family,_ he thought, gratitude threatening to overwhelm him. _This is my family._

* * *

_09:00pm_

By nine o’clock, the last guest—Maryse—had bid them goodnight and Magnus had given her a hug and locked the door behind her. The buzz of drink was dazing him a little, not quite drunk, but not fully sober. It had been a good day and he had been having the odd glass of alcohol every now and then. Jace had insisted he take a glass of whiskey with him. For brotherly reasons, he said.

Magnus still wasn’t sure what that meant.

Elijah had spent the afternoon alternating between building his spaceship, practicing with chalks, playing with the marble run Maia had gifted him, and doing his best to sit at the table like a grown-up. The latter he had grown weary of and given up on very quickly.

With Magnus as the more competent host, Alec had been tasked with keeping an eye on their son. Now, when Magnus turned from the door, he found the pair sat on the rug beside an almost finished Lego X-Wing, just some of the finer details needing to be placed. Elijah was curled up in Alec’s lap, his eyes closed, mouth slightly open, fast asleep. Alec gazed lovingly down at their son, absent fingers stroking rhythmically into his hair.

“Hey,” Magnus whispered a greeting, pressing a kiss to Alec’s temple when he knelt beside him. “I’ll take him to bed. You mind locking up and turning the lights off?”

Alec hummed his acceptance, and Magnus scooped his arms beneath Elijah, standing with the boy cradled against his chest. He woke with a wordless murmur while Magnus was taking him to his room, blinking those big brown eyes up at his ayah, gaze heavy and bleary with sleep.

“Hi, sweetie,” said Magnus in a quiet tone, using his shoulder to push open the door to Elijah’s room. “Bedtime, okay? You fell asleep. I’m just getting you to bed.”

He flipped the duvet back with a trail of magic so he could lay Elijah down on the mattress, reaching across to reclaim the duvet and pulling it over his son.

“Did you have a good Christmas?” Magnus asked in a whisper.

Elijah nodded and stifled a yawn. “’Twas nice… really good.” He blinked sleepily up at Magnus. “Did you?”

Smiling softly, Magnus nodded and leaned in to kiss Elijah’s forehead. “The best.”

Elijah smiled and closed his eyes as he curled up under the duvet, his hair a mess of dark locks across the pillow. He was happy and safe and, for Magnus, that was all he wanted when he tucked Elijah in for the night. Glancing back once more, Magnus pulled the door almost shut, leaving a small gap of about three inches out of protective habit.

Weary legs walked the short and dark distance to his and Alec’s bedroom. Magnus knew the route with closed eyes, but his gaze adjusted quickly to the moonlit room. He left his clothes as shapeless heaps on the floor, threw on one of Alec’s old t-shirts, keeping his boxers on to sleep in, and wandered over to the bed. Alec, already tucked up on his side, held back the duvet for him, smiling sleepily as Magnus climbed in beside him, rolling to work his arms around his husband, pulling him in close enough that their foreheads touched.

“Merry Christmas, baby… I love you so much,” Alec mumbled into the darkness and Magnus felt the breath on his lips, used it to whisper back.

“I love you too, Alexander.”

Alec sighed his contentment and entwined their legs, shifting up a little so Magnus could shift closer, their bodies fitting together as if they were sculpted solely for that purpose. Magnus draped an arm over Alec’s waist, breathing the cold air, rapidly heating between them, grateful for Alec’s warmth on these cold nights.

Magnus fell asleep wrapped up in Alec’s arms with his son asleep next door, his heart warm and full to bursting, and happily anticipating the new year, hopeful that the upcoming twelve months would give him as many blessings and joys as the last.


End file.
